JFON Network Update
JFON Hospitality and Community in Nashville
Guests attending the JFON gathering at Hillcrest UMC in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, May 17, were greeted by a lively group of adults and children. Volunteers and clients were talking, eating, and watching the children play. All told, 21 volunteers came out to welcome 11 clients, whose cases range from victims of domestic violence (U-visa) to advice and counsel.
In addition, two women who were arrested at a recent raid in Chattanooga came to JFON and will be represented in immigration court. Because JFON Nashville was just opened in April, there is not yet a local JFON attorney serving the clinic. JFON is able to represent the clients in court because three local attorneys, Katherine Dix-Esquivel, Spring Miller, and Mike Holley, have volunteered to collaborate on various aspects of the cases.
JFON Annual Network Meeting, October 2 - 5 2008, in New York
Expect something new at the JFON 2008 Annual Network Meeting! JFON clinic coordinators are invited to attend special networking and brainstorming sessions. The Network Meeting is a time for volunteers to share and celebrate the year’s successes as well as receive additional training and education to strengthen the program’s effectiveness in the coming year. In addition, a meeting is planned for annual conference refugee and immigration coordinators, who will join the JFON meeting on Saturday morning. Please mark these dates on your calendar and look for registration materials in the coming month.
JFON Iowa Responding to ICE Raid
In one of the largest work site immigration raids ever conducted, ICE agents stormed the kosher meatpacking plant operated by Agriprocessors, Inc. in Postville, Iowa in early May. They arrested nearly 400 workers, more than one third of the plant’s work force. Rose Mraz, JFON Regional Attorney for Iowa, teamed up with many pro bono legal service providers in the area and beyond to represent and counsel their clients. Jim Purdue, JFON supporter in Sioux City, conducted a service of solidarity. In response to the raid, Iowa Bishop Gregory Palmer issued a statement expressing support for and solidarity with the immigrant community in Postville.
“As the United Methodist Church, we urge the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and all other law-enforcement agencies to cease these raids, release those who have been detained today, and work with our elected officials to create a just and comprehensive immigration policy, one that will fully incorporate the undocumented among us into the life of this nation in ways that validate their humanity and affirm the many ways in which they contribute and enrich our culture here in Iowa, and our nation as a whole.”
Iowa United Methodists and JFON volunteers are sponsoring a strong resolution echoing Bishop Palmer’s stand, including his calls for an end to raids and the passage of fair and just immigration reform law.
Juan’s Story: Undocumented but Not Un-American
At what point did we close the borders on the American dream? Juan's story, shown in this video clip and similar to the stories of many undocumented youth, shines a light on America's unfounded fear of immigrants and pushes us towards building a more just immigration system based on community values.
Our Work
from Iowa
Emira* is a Bosnian refugee who came to the US with her parents as a young girl. Later, when it became clear that her parents were abusive, Emira was made a ward of the state and entered into the foster care system. Although she had been removed from her parents’ custody, they retained possession of all her documentation and she was unsure as to whether she had ever had her status adjusted from refugee (a lawful immigration status) to lawful permanent resident.
While her situation in foster care was not ideal, Emira did very well through her high school graduation. After reaching her majority shortly after graduation, Emira moved out of her foster home, entered into a bad relationship and had her first child. Unfortunately, her association with her child’s father contributed to criminal drug charges being brought against Emira. These charges made her subject to mandatory detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and put her at risk for deportation.
Despite that fact that Emira was a refugee and once again pregnant, the criminal charges against her were so serious that the only way to avoid deportation was an extremely limited form of asylum relief. As a first step to block Emira’s deportation, Rose Mraz, JFON attorney for Iowa, fought the criminal drug charges in court with carefully researched legal briefs. The government withdrew the most serious charge, protecting Emira from deportation and allowing her to request a waiver and apply for lawful permanent residency.
This was just the first part of the battle we fought on Emira’s behalf. Although Emira was six months pregnant, she was still subject to mandatory detention by ICE for the criminal drug charge. Rose contacted ICE and asked them to consider a humanitarian release. The ICE agents were compelled by the information submitted on Emira’s behalf (medical records, letters of recommendation, an order for her to go to a treatment facility, and a government-issued memo on humanitarian release) and they contacted Rose less than one week later with a decision to release Emira. Working in conjunction with other JFON attorneys, ICE, Emira’s foster family, her criminal defense attorney and her probation officer, Rose facilitated Emira’s successful release and transfer.
While Emira still faces an immigration hearing, her options are broadening. She currently lives in a treatment facility called "Heart of Iowa" where she can live with her children and undergo rehabilitation in a residential setting. More importantly, Emira will not have to give birth to her second child in a jail. This is a great testament to the power of a community to change someone’s life.
*Not her real name
